Party on the Pier

Party on the Pier takes over The Gaiety on Sunday 27 September, a full day of live music raising money for Rowans Hospice. It runs from 2pm to 9pm at The Gaiety Bar on South Parade Pier, so you can drop in for a few sets or settle in for the whole afternoon and evening.

The music is the main thing: around 20 local acts will perform throughout the day, with Amba Tremain, Marley Blandford, Hannah Reem, The Kojaks and Steve Kingsley among them. Malcolm Drew hosts the whole thing, and there's more than 16 local singers and bands on the bill, so you'll hear a fair cross-section of what's being played around the city. It's not just for music fans, either — there's family stuff running alongside, with balloon modelling and face painting for the kids.

There's a bit of a story behind it. The idea came from Pompey legend Alan Knight, who'd originally suggested a charity match at Fratton Park for prostate cancer causes. Later, Knight sat down with charity worker Malcolm Drew and Mark Trapani to talk about doing something for the hospice, and Knight proposed this. Grant, who runs The Gaiety, agreed to give the venue for free, so the money goes where it's meant to. Rowans Hospice is the one that cares for people with life-limiting illnesses across Portsmouth and the surrounding area, so it's a cause that hits close to home for a lot of people here.

It's £10 per adult and under 16s go free, and it runs from 2pm to 9pm on Sunday 27 September at The Gaiety Bar, South Parade Pier, Southsea, PO4 0SP.